The Department of Homeless Services (DHS) is one of the largest organizations of its kind committed to preventing and addressing homelessness in New York City. Collaborating with other public agencies and not-for-profit partners, the Department of Homeless Services works to prevent homelessness before it occurs, reduce street homelessness, and assist New Yorkers to transition from shelter into appropriate permanent housing.
The New York City Department of Homeless Services, Division of Shelter Security Management (SSM)’s mission is to protect designated city managed shelters by collaborating and partnering with the providers we serve. To support the delivery of vital social services by creating the safest environment possible for our clients, staff, and the community.
Under the executive direction of the Deputy Commissioner for SSM with very wide latitude for the exercise of independent initiative and judgement, the Assistant Commissioner of Program Shelters has the primary responsibility of overseeing and directing all administrative functions within SSM. Including procurement, contract services, reporting systems and equipment management. The team supports the field operations of over 500 Peace Officers and approximately 800 contracted security personnel to ensure the security and safety of DHS and provider run shelters. The Assistant Commissioner will have a strong knowledge of the training process in developing a department of Peace Officers/Police Officers. The Assistant Commissioner will have a strong understanding of the protocols and responsibilities of having a departmental law enforcement shield, and fully understand the expectations that accompany that element of the job.
Job Description:

The Department of Homeless Services (DHS) is recruiting for one (1) Associate Commissioner for Adult Services to function as Assistant Commissioner of Program Shelters who will be responsible for:

- Provide high-level oversight for the uniformed services operational activities in shelters for patrol, policy enforcement, security, de-escalation, training, and other law enforcement related activity.

- Share an understanding of law enforcement best practices, either through experience as a uniformed member of law enforcement or having served in a decision-making capacity in a law enforcement institution.

- Oversee the operational activities in the areas of Procurement, Reporting, Contract Security Management and Systems/Equipment Management within Shelter Security Management. Directs Program Administrators responsible for each area to conduct security assessments and implement corrective action plans to ensure performance goals of the DHS Security Management are reached.

- Supervise the procurement of goods and professional services of a $2M OTPS budget to support daily operations for 500+ Peace Officers by ensuring they are equipped with the necessary equipment and tools needed to perform their essential functions of their job. Procurement of security-related equipment includes purchasing new equipment as well as replacing or repairing existing equipment; this includes radios, CCTV system, and Body Worn Camera System (BWC).

- Manage the implementation of a $85M security contract to ensure security services are properly funded and that all DHS contracted shelters are appropriately staffed with security guards to maintain the safety and security of all staff, clients, and external partners.

- Be responsible for $29M PS budget; manage spending and staffing, including overtime projects, to ensure accurate funding is available and appropriate staffing levels of Peace Officers.

- Provide recommendations for new strategies, policies, and practices to ensure the adequate and efficient delivery of services; recommends changes in the policies and procedures as deemed necessary.

- Direct the design and implementation of operational systems and the application of standard techniques of operations, research, analysis, and security systems. Integrate data and other performance measures from partner agencies to capture and analyze the performance of DHS Security operations.

- Collaborate with all DHS, DSS, HRA and other city agencies, as well as partners at other levels of government to identify way to improve security measures and ensure that DHS Shelters are safe while they provide services to city’s most vulnerable population regarding access to the shelter system.

1. A baccalaureate degree and five (5) years of full-time experience at the executive level in a large
governmental agency, business firm, civic or community organization, or

2. A master's degree in social work, public administration, business administration, economics,
accounting or related fields and four (4) years of full-time experience as described in "1" above or

3. Education and/or experience equivalent to '1" above. However, all candidates must have at least
one (1) year specialized experience as described in "1" above.

- Extensive prior experience in providing security and safety services within a social service framework is highly desired. Special consideration will be given to candidates with an advanced degree and/or an educational background in social work and/or trained in trauma-informed care. - Experienced with the use, training, and recommendation of law enforcement equipment to better align the department with applicable laws, rules, and regulations. - In depth familiarity with state and local laws and requirements, police methods and practices, utilized by peace/police officers. - Experienced in recruiting, retaining, and developing law enforcement personnel. Exercises sound judgment in dealing with highly stressful and dangerous situations. - Ability to communicate effectively up and down the chain of command. - Evidenced ability to manage staff by setting ambitious yet achievable goals, objectives, and outcomes for team members and the team overall. - Experience working with community stakeholders such as nonprofit partnerships. - Results-driven and self-motivated. - Excellent communication, research, and analytics skills.

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.